A Crimson Tide family atmosphere

MOUNTAIN BROOK | At 7 a.m. on National Signing Day, Karen Love scooped scrambled eggs on her son Wilson's plate, just as she has been doing for the last three years in their kitchen.

'I'm very lucky to have this,' said Wilson, a 6-foot-3, 275-pound high school senior defensive tackle who was fueling up for his official signing with the University of Alabama in a few short hours. 'It used to be just cereal. I don't know what happened the last three years.'Karen gave a soft tap to his shoulder. 'Coach (Scott) Cochran (UA's strength and conditioning coach) said you should kiss me every morning when he found out what you were having for breakfast.'Karen and her husband Glenn are no strangers to Alabama and its coaching staff, and are very familiar with this National Signing Day process. Their son Tyler, a 6-7, 290-pound offensive lineman with Alabama, went through the same thing two years ago. Now their youngest, sitting in a suit with the same tie big brother Tyler wore to his signing, was ready to make the move to the Capstone official.Karen looked closely at his tie. 'Tyler made a mess of this, I thought I got all the stains out.''(Tyler) makes a mess out of most things,' Wilson said smugly. Nothing like a brotherly jab, which the Loves have been exchanging for years. Tyler, his twin brother Harrison -- who works in football operations as an Alabama student -- and Wilson have always been close. They've lived, grown and fought together. It's the bond of brothers.And it's not the only pair on the most current list of Alabama football athletes. Newly-signed tight end Harrison Jones is joining his brother Barrett in crimson. And this is just right now: Grab a stepladder and look over the shoulder of highly-touted offensive lineman, and new signee, Arie Kouandjio (6-6, 320). You will find a younger brother of one year named Cyrus, a highly-touted recruit for the 2011 class of prospects. And Cyrus is bigger.A brotherly trend, perhaps? Karen likens the Alabama experience with head coach Nick Saban to be like family.'He was here for dinner last Tuesday night and he treats us like family,' said Karen. 'I can't believe some of the things he remembered and asked about from when he was here two years ago recruiting Tyler. He remembered what I cooked the last time, and how good it was...''...and he wanted the same thing again,' interrupted Glen.When asked about Wilson joining Tyler, Saban addressed Karen's cooking immediately.'My first comment (about recruiting Tyler and Wilson) would be I got to eat Miss Karen's cooking twice,' Saban said. 'Not once. And she's a real good cook. The pecan pie was great.'Saban went on to address the thought process of bringing family together at Alabama. 'I think it's always a good situation to at least make the offer as an opportunity for a family to decide whether people should go to school at the same place or not, if that's the best place for their opportunity.'As for Wilson's opportunity, he's been able to watch his brother go through this process that changed his approach to the game.'The success I saw him have on the field, and all the recruiting, I wanted to be a part of that,' he said. 'Plus, my whole life I wanted to play for Bama, and seeing Tyler get the opportunity I realized I really had to change my ways and get more serious about football. So being the youngest and living in my brothers' shadows, I really had to step it up.'But talk to some folks around Mountain Brook High football and Wilson living in the shadows may not be the most accurate statement. Mountain Brook head football coach Chris Yaeger, who has been with the program for 12 years, first started hearing about Wilson when the youngest Love was in second grade.'We had coaches that were teaching at the elementary school he attended and they would come over out of breath from excitement, saying, ‘Just wait 'til you see this Love kid',' said Yaeger. 'In a good football kind of way, he's nasty. He is a fighter.'By the time Wilson hit junior high, word was out that the meanest of the Loves was on his way.'I thought ... OK, a big Love that's mean. It just doesn't get any better than that,' Yeager said.

Reach Chris Rattey at chris.rattey@tuscaloosanews.com or at 205-722-0100.